Chapter 14. The South Pole

           Irushedontotheplatform.Yes!theopensea,withbutafewscatteredpiecesoficeandmovingicebergsalongstretchofsea;aworldofbirdsintheair,andmyriadsoffishesunderthosewaters,whichvariedfromintensebluetoolivegreen,accordingtothebottom.ThethermometermarkedC.abovezero.Itwascomparativelyspring,shutupaswewerebehindthisiceberg,whoselengthenedmasswasdimlyseenonournorthernhorizon.

           "Areweatthepole?"IaskedtheCaptain,withabeatingheart.

           "Idonotknow,"hereplied."AtnoonIwilltakeourbearings."

           "Butwillthesunshowhimselfthroughthisfog?"saidI,lookingattheleadensky.

           "Howeverlittleitshows,itwillbeenough,"repliedtheCaptain.

           Abouttenmilessouthasolitaryislandrosetoaheightofonehundredandfouryards.Wemadeforit,butcarefully,fortheseamightbestrewnwithbanks.Onehourafterwardswehadreachedit,twohourslaterwehadmadetheroundofit.Itmeasuredfourorfivemilesincircumference.Anarrowcanalseparateditfromaconsiderablestretchofland,perhapsacontinent,forwecouldnotseeitslimits.TheexistenceofthislandseemedtogivesomecolourtoMaury’stheory.TheingeniousAmericanhasremarkedthat,betweentheSouthPoleandthesixtiethparallel,theseaiscoveredwithfloatingiceofenormoussize,whichisnevermetwithintheNorthAtlantic.FromthisfacthehasdrawntheconclusionthattheAntarcticCircleenclosesconsiderablecontinents,asicebergscannotforminopensea,butonlyonthecoasts.

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